New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-05-04
THE PoHiCK CHURCH.

4 q
study will bring the perfect day.
THE POHiCk CHURCH..
Where Washington Worshiped and
Was vestryman.
After delightful drive through a.
finely wooded and well cultivated coun-
try arrived at Pohick church, in Vir.
ginia, regarded with so much reverence
by Americans, as it was here that tor
many years that Gen. Washington
worshiped. The sexton unlocked the
large gate of the enclosure. The site of
the church was selected by Washington
on account ofi its central position. and
its proximity to Mount Vernon The
| contractor was Mr.. Daniel French. It
was begun in 1869 and finished in 1772.
The bricks were made in the county,
and the stone was brought from the
Isle of Wight. The building was 66A
feet in length by As in width and the
walls were 20 feet in height. The en-
tire cost was EST sterling. The money
for the payment was raised by taxation.
The walls appear to have been brok-
en-. as the repairs have been made of
| new bricks. The church has an anci-
ent appearance, and is very much
larger than is usually seen in the coun-
try.
There are two doors on the western
side. and twenty-six windows. The
steps ale eight in number, built of the
same stone as the trimmings and case
| ments of the doors. The church has
been thoroughly renovated. There are
two isles and four rows of substantial
pews and beautiful chancel inclosed
with semi-circle railing. During the
civil war the regiments stationed at
Alexandria quartered their pickets in
this church, and the Pennsylvania and
Iowa union soldiers stabbed their horses
in it. The stone tagging of the isle
were torn up and thrown out, the pull
pit and pews broken up, and the pieces
sent as mementoes or relics to different
states, to relatives and friends. Wash
ington's pew met the same treatment.
The spot en- which it stood, on the
north side. is pointed out to visitors,
The roof of the church was pierre
ed with bullets; all the plastering
fell down; holes were chiseled out in
the corners of the church, which had
stone facing. to find the money sup
posed to be in the cornerstone, and
some members of an Iowa regiment
carved their mines in the west corner
on the stone facing near the door.
The list Of the names Of the original
vestrynaen of Pohick church was kind
" furnished me by Virginia gentle
man OF Accotink, who is quite an
antiquarian and had copied them
from the vestry book of 1772, which
has been found during the last three
months in the state of New York,
where it had been treasured and hid
away by a Virginia family. The first
yestryman's name on the list was
that of George Washington, and then
followed the names of George Mason.
of Gunston, who wrote the bill of
rights of the state of Virginia; George
w. Fairfax, baronet collector of the
kings's customs for the Potomac;
Alexander Henderson. Martin Coburn,
Col Daniel McCarty, Gen. VIM. Payne
Thomas WILDER Golfer, and Mr.. Elizer.
Near the church is small grove.
There are also many graves. I Tread the
following inscription on a tombstone
over hundred years old:
ITO the memory of Mrs. Susanna
Mills, wife of John Mills (merehant).
who departed this life June IL, I774.
aged 80 years.
.What'er she was forbear to saw.
Twill best be known on the great day.
When you and all and every one
Must give account of what was done.
To say no more she lived approved,
Died lamented and beloved,
AS | turned away to return home-
ward my mind was filed with thoughts
OF the different scenes which had been
enacted on ard around the historic
spot dnring peace and war, under the
same soft blue sky. with its feathery
clouds, and the same beautiful sur
roundiugs of emerald green meadows,
yellow-tinted green fields and distant
hills flooded with waves Of light CATCH
ing CLEANS of the SUMS glory-cor.
Washington Star.
oh, for muse Of fre,n sings the spring
poet. That fellow should live on kerosene
cocktails and sit near . red-haired orator.